UK police have apprehended a fourth suspect at a court in connection with the assault on Jewish ambulances
British police have apprehended a fourth individual in relation to an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances. This arrest took place at a London court where three males, already charged in the case, were present, according to prosecutors on Saturday.
Hamza Iqbal, 20; Rehan Khan, 19;20; and a 17-year-old whose identity is protected for legal reasons are19; charged with setting fire to four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola on March 23 while they were stationed near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
At the time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer characterized the incident as a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack.”
The CPS reports that four individuals carried out the attack.
The SITE Intelligence website reported that a multinational militant collective aligned with Iran, known as the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The report indicated that the group was responsible for similar fires across Europe.
Counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation in Britain, but they currently do not classify the incident as terrorism.
A prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service stated that police suspect four individuals were involved in executing the attack, with a fourth person being arrested on Saturday morning as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Metropolitan Police reported that the fourth suspect, a 19-year-old man, was apprehended by officers at the court during the hearing, as they identified him as being connected to the attack. He was apprehended on suspicion of arson with the intent to endanger life and was taken into custody.
Three men face charges of arson with the intent to damage property and recklessness regarding the potential endangerment of life. Two individuals are British nationals, whereas the third possesses dual British-Pakistani citizenship.
All three were placed in custody, with the 17-year-old directed to be held in youth detention accommodation.
Hatzola is a volunteer emergency service operating as a not-for-profit organization, collaborating with Britain’s National Health Service and primarily catering to the Orthodox Jewish community.
The London Fire Brigade reported that explosions from cylinders on the vehicles shattered nearby windows; however, there were no injuries.
Since the Hamas assault on Israel in October 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza, there has been an increase in attacks on Jewish individuals and Jewish sites in Britain, as reported by police and community organizations.
